6/10 AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT: Keller’s report on Cody defending against Marq Quen, Colt vs. Guevara, FTR vs. The Butcher & The Blade, Jericho on commentary

AEW DYNAMITE TV REPORT
JUNE 10, 2020
LIVE IN JACKSONVILLE, FLA. AT DAILY’S PLACE
AIRED ON TNT

Announcers: Jim Ross, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

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[HOUR ONE]

-A video recap aired of top happenings ion last week’s show.

-The AEW Dynamite opening theme aired.

-The camera showed cheering wrestlers at ringside. Then they went to the announcers on camera. Ross touted a loaded line-up. They hyped the specific scheduled matches. Ross said Colt Cabana and Sammy Guevara both need a win tonight.

-Chris Jericho’s theme song suddenly played. He walked out with Floyd the Bat, “the so-called sixth member of Inner Circle,” said Excalibur. Jericho sat between Ross and Schiavone. Jericho seemed to be in a mood and ranted a bit about Mike Tyson.

(1) FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE

FTR showed up in a pick-up truck. Ross said a lot of people are interested in this team for all the right reasons because they’re so talented. Jericho said they were the hottest free agents in pro wrestling. They showed Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Shawn Spears, Jake Roberts, and Lance Archer all in the seats watching. Jericho touted the talent and experience watching in the crowd. Ross said he was pleased to see the teams holding the tag team ropes and following tag rules. Jericho said it’s like his rules because they’re actually tagging usual. (And apparently around 70 percent of all wrestling fans appreciate it, too!) Wheeler faked an arm injury and then rolled up Butcher from behind. Butcher and Blade soon took control. Jericho said he likes this smash-mouth “meat and potatoes” style match, and he’d like to see more of it in AEW. He said there’s “no flips or flops or flim-flams; this is just a wrestling match.” He said in 2020 he likes it. Ross endorsed that opinion. Dax eventually got the hot-tag in and went to work Blade. He gave Blade a brainbuster. Ross said Tully is certainly impressed. Jericho made fun of Excalibur saying “high rent district” when they battled on the second rope in the corner. (I could do without the phrase “high-rent district” being said every time someone climbs to the top or second rope to fight. It’s not as bad as calling the abdomen a “bread basket,” though.)

Butcher and Blade took over on Dax. The ref signaled a tag was made, but Ross said he didn’t see it. Excalibur said he believes a tag was made. FTR gave Butcher a “Good Night Express” tandem facebuster. Then they delivered a stuff piledriver called “The Mind Breaker” for the three count on Butcher. Jericho said both teams are winners after that “great opening match with four guys beating the crap out of each other in the best possible way.”

WINNERS: FTR in 11:00.

-Schiavone interviewed FTR mid-ring afterward. Dax (formerly Dash) said this is the pinnacle of tag team wrestling. The Young Bucks interrupted. Nick Jackson said they didn’t want to be rude, they just wanted to congratulate them on a great match. Matt said they also wanted to come out there and say thank you. He said they helped them out of a jam a couple of weeks ago, but also failed to properly introduce themselves. He said, “My name is Matt. This is my brother Nick.” He said they’ve been solely carrying tag team wrestling on their backs for the last decade and a half. “We’re the best tag team in AEW,” he said. “We’re the Young Bucks. It’s so nice to meet you, finally.” Butcher clotheslined the Bucks from behind. Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc jumped in. Kenny Omega ran to the ring. Hangman Page took his time strolling to the ring with a beer in his hands. They cleared the ring of the heels, with FTR, the Bucks, and Kenny & Page hanging out as the dust settled. [c]

-Dasha told The Natural Nightmares that she had breaking news for them – next week they’d face Page & Omega for the tag team titles. Brandi Rhodes didn’t react to that and asked why Allie as wearing their family’s ring jacket. Q.T. Marshall said she’s “part of the family, she’s my girl.” Dustin asked if he knows what’s at stake next week. He said he does. He told him he needs him in the game. He pointed at Allie and said, “This right here, get it out of your system, because next week she won’t be at ringside with us.”

(Keller’s Analysis: I feel like I missed a whole chapter or two in The Natural Disasters story. Why is Brandi sporting such a snotty attitude and no-selling the news of the tag team title shot? Why is it so bad that Allie has a ring jacket? Why is Dustin saying he doesn’t have his mind in the right place? Dustin and Brandi came across as complete jerks. I hope that’s what they were going for. There’s a storyline on AEW Dark that the Dynamite audience has no idea about. How does AEW present a segment like this so out of the blue and assume knowledge the vast majority of viewers are completely behind on. Allie was The Bunny not long ago.)

-Jericho asked what Dustin’s problem was and asked why she shouldn’t have a Nightmare jacket. Schiavone said he doesn’t trust her. Ross hyped the tag team title match.

(2) PENELOPE FORD (w/Kip Sabian) & NYLA ROSE vs. HIKARU SHIDA & KRIS STATLANDER

Jericho asked Schiavone how sexy Sabian is. Schiavone was uncomfortable and stammered. Jericho said he doesn’t even talk to Rose backstage and stays away from her because she’s so intimidating. Statlander booped the babyfaces at ringside in the nose on her way to the ring, her “alien greeting.” In the opening minute, Statlander threw Rose into Ford, then went to work on Rose. She tagged Shida in. Rose avoided a flying Statlander a minute later and then clotheslined her hard. [c]

Ross mentioned the death of Mr. Wrestling II after a kneelift in the match. Statlander eventually made a comeback by escaping a Samoan Drop by Rose with elbows and a roundkick to the head. Shida entered next and superplexed Rose. Statlander landed an axe kick for a believable near fall. Rose placed both Statlander and Shida on the top rope. Then she climbed to the top rope and landed a double legdrop onto the back of their necks. (They were nice enough to stay in that position for ten seconds as she set it up.) Shida came back with a running knee to the jaw to Rose, then gave Ford a Falcon Arrow for a near fall. Sabian grabbed Shida’s leg to slow her momentum. Statlander dove at Sabian through the ropes. Ford hit Shida with the AEW Women’s Title belt and then suplexed and bridged Shida for the three count. Jericho said Ford is in line for a title shot and, with Sabian’s help, has champion written all over her.

WINNERS: Rose & Ford in 11:00.

-In a video he sent in, Darby Allin said he’s still not cleared to wrestle and he doesn’t give a shit. (He was bleeped.) Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk said it doesn’t matter, he doesn’t need medical clearance to use his skateboard. Darby was at a skate board gym and attempted a few stunt around a half-dozen times, falling over and over, but eventually getting it right. Tony Hawk high-fived him.

-A segment aired on Dr. Brit Baker. She talked about being an inspiring role model. She said everyone needs a role model, and she’s happy to do it, but she needs respect too. [c]

-A commercial aired for AEW action figures.

(3) SANTANA & ORTIZ & JAKE HAGER vs. BEST FRIENDS (Chucky T & Trent) & ORANGE CASSIDY

Inner Circle jump-started the match. Hager threw Cassidy up onto the stage. Schiavone said Hager vs. Cassidy is a big mismatch. Jericho said it looks like Hager is beating up the 15 year old version of himself. Jericho said they didn’t forget Cassidy walked right through their interview and disrespected them. He said they remember everything. Jericho made fun of Trent “losing his last name in a poker game or something.” They cut to a break a few minutes in, but stayed with the action on split-screen. [c]

Cassidy made it to the ring apron and extended his arm for a tag. Trent tagged him. Cassidy slowly entered the ring and walked up to Jake and lightly kicked him. Jake lifted him and threw him into the corner, then across the ring. Cassidy ducked a charging Hager, then put his hands in his pockets. Santana and Ortiz went after him, but he ducked under their punches and took them both over with head scissors, hands still in pocket. Jericho lost his composure. Cassidy then dove through the ropes and knocked Hager into the barricade. He then landed a top rope bodyblock. He countered Santana with a DDT. Jericho said he’s like a pool shark who lulls you with low energy, then surges. Hager caught him mid-air and powerslammed him. Trent and Chucky broke up his cover. Hager then clotheslined Trent over the top rope. Santana attacked him on the floor as Hager and Ortiz attacked Cassidy in the corner. Santana landed a cannonball onto Cassidy. When Santana and Ortiz set up Street Sweeper on Cassidy, Chuck shoved Santana off the top rope. Cassidy leveraged Ortiz’s shoulders down for an upset three count.

WINNERS: Inner Circle in 11:00.

[HOUR TWO]

-Jericho ran out with Floyd the bat. He bashed Trent and Chuck with it. Then he jabbed Cassidy in the face with it. Ross said Jericho was as violent and vile as they’ve seen him. “He’s simply pissed,” Ross said. Schiavone wondered what would be left of the Best Friends by Fyter Fest. Jericho then brought a bag of oranges into the ring. Jericho had a talk with a groggy Cassidy, who was bleeding from his head. Jericho then bashed him with the big bag of oranges. (It seemed at the live camera angle that it barely grazed him.) Excalibur said Inner Circle has literally bashed Cassidy to a bloody pulp. (You had to see that coming.) Jericho said, “Blood Orange Cassidy has just been juiced.” He poured out the oranges. Jericho began eating one of them, but like Cookie Monster eats cookies, none of it stayed in his mouth. [c]

-Schiavone was about to interview Billy Gunn and Austin Gunn. MJF interrupted and said “all the boys know” in the back that no matter “how over they get on Twitter with the marks” and how much they improve their work in the ring or on the mic, they hit a ceiling. He said he is the ceiling. He said he’s the great white shark in a sea filled with minnows. Billy told MJF he’s looking at a great white. MJF said he’s surprised he’s not trying to get another one of his scumbag talentless sons a job in this company. Wardlow stepped up when Billy grabbed MJF’s arm. Billy told him he made a mistake. MJF and Wardlow backed off.

-Ross threw to a replay of Cabana being offered a spot in the Dark Order.

(4) SAMMY GUEVARA vs. COLT CABANA

Ross said they hope to get an update on Cassidy’s condition before the end of the show. Colt took Guevara down early with a chop to the chest. Colt took Guevara to the mat with a wristlock, but Sammy escaped and threw Colt to the floor. Then he flip dove onto Colt. They cut to a break, but stayed with the action on split-screen. Sammy controlled during the break. [c]

Colt rallied with some punches and elbows, including a bionic elbow. He landed his Flying Apple backsplash in the corner. He went for a splash, but Guevara moved. Colt just bounced on his feet and landed a second attempt at a splash for a two count. Colt pressed and tossed Guevara off the top rope and then landed a moonsault for a near fall. He set up a reverse Chicago Skyline slam off the middle rope, but he slipped. Ross had noted early in the match that Sammy is 26, whereas Colt is 40, and sometimes when athletes get to age 40, they start wondering if they’re losing a step. Guevara then gave Colt a GTS for the win. Excalibur said Colt went for a fancy version of the Chicago Skyline that he doesn’t use much and it backfired.

WINNER: Guevara in 8:00.

(Keller’s Analysis: They did a good job telling the story of Colt having a reason to be insecure that he’s losing a step. It’s good to show that Guevara can win, too.)

-Evil Uno and Greyson walked out, representing Dark Order. Then Brodie Lee walked out and approached Colt. He offered his hand. Colt accepted. Brodie helped him to his feet, but then turned and left. Ross wondered if that is a metaphor for something bigger. Colt walked to the back, but paused with his hands on his hips, and walked through the tunnel that Dark Order came out of instead of the one he came out of.

-Back in the ring, Sammy talked about how he’s the greatest, so the focus should be about him. Matt Hardy walked out. Sammy asked why he’s interrupting his victory celebration. Matt said when he looks at him, he sees someone with a never-say-die attitude. He said no matter how hard he gets hit, he always gets back up. Matt said he is the future of AEW. Guevara nodded. Matt said to realize his maximum potential, he has to get away from Jericho. “Trust me when I say that, Sammy,” he said. Sammy soaked up the words, but then said Matt tried to kill him twice. A “Matt Fact” appeared on the screen. He said he is an excellent driver who likes to watch Sammy sprint. Sammy interrupted and said he isn’t sure if he’s dumb or stupid. Matt broken into the Broken Matt character suddenly (sort of like Festus back in the day). He said he’s going to delete him. Sammy bailed out. Ross said, “I hope you enjoyed the Twlight Zone, ladies and gentlemen.”

-A video package aired on Joey Janela. He said he came to AEW to become a star. He said he once fought Jon Moxley, but has since faded into darkness. He said sometimes he feels his best moments in wrestling are behind him. They showed him at a bar and then walking the streets. They showed Sonny Kiss driving past him in a convertible. Sonny invited him into the car. Joey got in and said he had been drinking. The screen said “To Be Continued” as the car drove away. [c]

-Dasha caught up with Colt Cabana and tried to ask him about his loss. He walked away and knocked on the Dark Order locker room door. Audience members shouted, “No!” Colt went inside. He seemed downspirited as he entered.

-They went to the announcers on camera who reacted. Excalibur said this is so unlike the Cabana he’s known for so long. Ross hyped Gunn Club (Billy & Austin) vs. MJF & Wardlow next week. Also Omega & Page vs. Natural Nightmares for the tag titles. Excalibur plugged there would be a TNT Title match. Also, Le Sex Gods (Jericho & Guevara) vs. Best Friends (w/Orange Cassidy). And finally Superbad Death Squad (Sabian & Havoc) vs. Young Bucks for the first time ever.

-In the parking garage, Alex Marvez caught up with the arriving Moxley for a comment. He said he in a real bad mood. He said his neck hurts and his back hurts and it hurts to sit on the toilet. He said he’s tired of people running their mouths when they have no idea what they’re talking about. He said Taz has been telling everyone that Brian Cage is going to beat him. He said if he was trying to get under his skin, it’s working. He said he’s going to pop Cage like a giant pimple and shut Taz up for good. He said he is one miserable son of a bitch. He said it pisses him off that Taz and Jericho and anyone else thinks Cage can beat him. He said it drives him to train harder and hit harder. He said Taz is one of the great trash-talkers ever. Taz came out and said he’s sitting in his trailer hearing him chirping. Cage then attacked Mox from behind. Ross called it a cheap attack. Cage threw Moxley into a metal barricade in the parking lot. Cage swung a pipe, but Mox ducked, so it broke the back window. Then Cage gave Mox a spinebuster on the back of the car. Taz stopped Cage, saying he sent a message and it was time to go. Cage set him down, but then picked him up and slammed him onto the back windshield. The license plate on the Chevy Cruize said “AEW.”

-Cody said some people have been critical of his skillset bell to bell, so he’s taking on a schedule of defending it every week with an open challenge. He said he’s busted open from the battle with Jungle Boy last week, and he has a new challenger in Marq Quen this week. He talked him up as highlights aired of his flying moves. He said he’s motivated and has a chip on his shoulder.

-Marq Quen made his ring entrance. [c]

(5) CODY (w/Arn Anderson) vs. MARQ QUEN – TNT Championship match

The announcers talked about the “We Are All Family” t-shirt, with all proceeds being donated to the Trevor project for LGBTQ youth. Excalibur brought up Quen supporting Black Lives Matter in light of recent events. The announcers talked about this being a big moment for Quen, who always brings energy. Excalibur said Quen getting the title shot is indicative of the true nature of the open challenge. He said it doesn’t even have to be someone officially with AEW (which seems to be setting the stage for a recent WWE released wrestler to appear soon as a challenger). Cody controlled the action early. They cut to a break a couple minutes in and stayed with the action on split-screen. [c]

Quen made a comeback and scored a near fall. Ross said if he got Quen’s haircut, he’d feel so young again. Quen landed a running dive over the top rope on the floor, but sold his sore knee. He landed a flip dive seconds later, but clutched his ankle. He got back in the ring and couldn’t put weight on his leg. Cody returnd to the ring, and Arn stood on the ramp and yelled some advice to Cody. Quen threw Cody off of him. Cody rolled to the floor. Quen flip dove onto Cody on the floor, then scored a two count back inside the ring. Quen slowly climbed to the top rope, favoring his leg. Cody rolled onto the ramp. Quen landed a 450 on Cody on the ramp. Arn winced at ringside. Back in the ring, Quen again climbed to the top rope. Cody avoided him and applied an anklelock immediately. He then grapevined the leg and applied extra pressure with his free leg for the tapout win.

WINNER: Cody in 12:00 to retain the TNT Title.

-Cody and Quen hugged afterward and shook hands and exchanged words of support after a hard-fought battle. Cody’s music played and he kissed the belt. Ross shifted to plugging a movie on TNT starring “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson. Hager walked out onto the stage and eyed Cody. Hager went after Arn. Cody made the save. Hager slammed Cody. Quen made the save. Matt Hardy and Isiah Kassidy came out, too. Sammy, Santana, and Ortiz joined in the fight. Schiavone praised Hardy and Private Party running to the aid of Cody. A big brawl broke out with referees running out and the bell ringing several times. The faces cleared the ring. Cody then cut off his music and asked Hager if he wants a TNT Title match at Fyter Fest, because he can have it. The announcers said Fyter Fest just got bigger.

(Keller’s Analysis: A solid main event match that gave Quen a chance to shine in the final minutes, but also established Cody as being a level better.)

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Do you think AEW should have a more consistent structure to tag team matches (regarding legal tags, enforcing count when illegal wrestler in ring, excessive "saves", extended four-way action w/o ramifications)…

— Pro Wrestling Torch (@PWTorch) June 10, 2020